Byran Gabriel takes on the Establishment 22nd Apr 2005 Back   Five star hotels abound in Sydney – the Hyatt by the bridge is phenomenal, the Four Seasons looks out over circular quay, the W has it’s stylish and historical home on Finger Warph – but for boutique joints the hotel that takes the cake is Establishment. Small and exclusive but with rooms that are more at home in some beachside resort (minus the view) it also has arguably the best F&B outlets complementing it. In fact for anyone who prefers hotels that don’t look like common or garden hotels, and hotel bars and restaurants that don’t eat and drink like cookie-cutter hotel venues, this is the place to stay. Previously, GM Bryan Gabriel worked in a big brand hotel for some sixteen years. “With 3,500 hotels in the company I was very lucky to be part of that large sales and marketing team. It was a great job with great people,” he remembers. But when the opportunity to work in a family-owned company came up, back in his native Sydney, he jumped at it. “Justin Hemmes is the MD and Bettina does the design. Their passion is what brought me to work here,” he says. “The owners’ family cares so much about the product – they believe in what they are doing and follow through.” This is apparent in the hotel where it is the details that speak volumes, and with the bijou size of the hotel it is easy to add little details without breaking the budget. As for outlets – Establishment opened four years ago and although relatively old in this city, is still going strong. The huge ground floor room with it’s central bar and wall side seating reaches back towards a mini courtyard, which leads to the hotel. Pick any night of the week and you’ll find a good crowd here, increasing to bulging at the weekends. Young, dressed-up crowds drinking martinis – you could easily be in NYC. “That it is still burning is amazing for the F&B world,” says Gabriel. “Particularly in Australia, and the place looks as good as the day it opened.” The boutique-ness of the place makes upkeep essential, but for this family it is clearly not a chore. “This is a service driven family, says Gabriel. “There are constant on-going maintenance programs as the image of the building is all-important. People have high expectations – and they are met. It is a company philosophy that works.” Est. the restaurant is one of the five coveted three-hat restaurants – three years in a row. Peter Doyle’s dreamy, elegant food has found a perfect home in the pillared, breathtakingly glamorous dining room at the Establishment Hotel” wrote Matthew Evans in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003, and precious little has changed in terms of atmosphere. The glass ceiling provides an awesome skylight shining down onto the similarly light and tasty cuisine Doyle has been famously cooking up over the years. Downstairs is Hemisphere - the lounge bar to over-sprawl all lounge bars, with funky décor, huge high ceilings and tall windows at either end. And Tank, the basement nightclub is named after the fact it is over the tank stream – Sydney’s major water supply. The brick walls and ceilings create a moody interior and have no doubt seen their fair share of excitement – the club heaves at the weekends and has previously won nightclub of the year. Back upstairs the 33 rooms and 2 penthouses are selling like hotcakes, and it isn’t difficult to see why Barry White and Sting, among other celebs, have made the Penthouse their home in Australia. “People still want comfort and luxury,” says Gabriel, “and not always in a traditionally major brand kind of way. It’s an old cliché, but this really is as good as home. The bathroom is enormous, the bath products are Belgian, the showers are big rainwater showers and at turn down cookies are left for you.” I don’t know where he lives but that sounds a whole load better than home to me. “We cater to the corporate business mid-week. The fast Internet broadband is complimentary, like coffee and tea you’ve got to have it these days. Corporates are so time poor they must be able to plug in at all hours. “The food is amazing. It’s not traditional hotel buffet – the breakfast is all home made… It’s a long long way from a traditional hotel. And it means I’ve got back to where I started which is looking after people. I get to meet all the guests, that’s a real welcome. I know their dislikes, their likes, and make sure each guest has a great experience.” It’s the old truism come round to kick everyone in the ass again – personalized service. Just as, back in the old days, clients would stay loyal to a particular hotel or bar and enjoy recognition and special treatment as a result, that is what hotel guests are looking for now. Somewhere that feels like home even if it is a whole load more indulgent. “The Sydney five star market has been in a slump, but it’s on the upward move now,” says Gabriel. You’ve got Melbourne and Brisbane an hour away… It fits in well with the rest of Asia too.” Far, far away but in touch in a way that keeps it in mind, Australia’s reputation is forgoing a trail of fire around the world as a destination to be reckoned with despite the miles. Of course, Australians always were good at traveling right from the beginning, so their affinity with the rest of Asia is unsurprising. “MY favourite Asian city is Bangkok,” Gabriel says. “And I think KL is really moving ahead for culture and a great time. In fact all over Asia is an amazing lifestyle. Sydney is an expensive city – but it’s fun. Amazing restaurants, great wines… It’s a party city.” And he should know – he has at least three parties going on at his Establishment every single night.